In the Hall of the Mountain King by Burnt Island Games
Price: ~$50.00
Players: 1 to 5
Playtime: 75 to 90 minutes
Perfect for: Players who enjoy production and movement optimization with clever mechanics.

In the Hall of the Mountain King is a game of trolls and statue building! As the former inhabitants of a rocky underground lair, players assume control of several large creatures to not only refurbish the once-great dwelling, but also give honor by erecting statues. Efficiency is key as individuals attempt to carefully plan out the most optimal way to collect resources, acquire new troll talent, and position their monuments. Before talking about the mechanics, here’s a bit more on the theme from the publisher, Burnt Island Games:

Play as trolls rebuilding your abandoned kingdom under the mountain in the Hall of the Mountain King. With muscle and magic, you’ll unearth riches, dig out collapsed tunnels, and carve out great halls as you raise the toppled statues of your ancestors to their places of honor at the heart of the mountain. Gameplay is driven by the innovative cascading production system. Timing and tactics are key as you work to restore your home to its former glory and win the crown!

To begin In the Hall of the Mountain King, one to five players receive their starting fleet of worker trolls and the resources associated with them. Keeping in mind the end goal of building a network of tunnels to harvest materials which are then used to build statues (the primary scoring mechanism), players take a series of actions on their turn. First, a player can recruit a new troll, which will produce a particular set of resources. The more valuable the resources, the more expensive the troll. Alternatively, a player could decide to exchange a set of resources to build a piece of tunnel—polyomino tiles that connect like angular jigsaw pieces on the main gameboard. These tunnels are what will allow the player to unearth resources as well as move deeper into the mountain, where constructed statues could score more points. And finally, an individual could use minecarts (a resource) to push a statue of a corresponding color to an optimal place on the board. There are a few other optional actions a person could take, but these are the most common. After the last player brings a sixth troll onto their crew, the endgame is triggered and the person with most victory points is declared the winner.

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What works in In the Hall of the Mountain King is the engaging balance of resource acquisition and network building, all grafted onto a solid theme. The interplay within In the Hall of the Mountain King is lively thanks to a cascading system of collecting resources, and various effects that might be triggered for benefit at the start of a turn. For example, when a player hires a new troll, the card is placed above two previously acquired cards (so the end result is a pyramid with card levels of 4, 3, 2, and 1). The player then gains the new associated resources, but also the resources on any troll cards beneath it if those materials have been previously spent. This mechanic intensifies the strategic nature of when to spend resources and when to obtain new trolls. Furthermore, at the beginning of each turn, players can use gems to activate one of three available special abilities as enhancement (i.e. pay one less resource for a tunnel; build two tunnels instead of one, etc.). And finally, players can unlock workshops on the boards by connecting them to tunnels, which introduces a hint of engine-building.

Strategy for success while playing In the Hall of the Mountain King is robust and varied enough keep gameplay highly engaging. Once players grasp the basic relational nature of resources and actions, a myriad of options open such as deciding between quality and quantity of statues; investing in great halls or pedestals—structures that can potentially amplify the value of statues—; or focusing on scoring bonus points by being first to place statues in particular areas. Given the array of scoring avenues to explore, In the Hall of the Mountain King is ripe for multiple playthroughs.

Players who prefer games with less likelihood for analysis paralysis may not enjoy In the Hall of the Mountain King as much as others. The rules and mechanics are very easy to grasp after a turn or two, but with that comes the realization that the possibilities for optimization are rather numerous, and long-term planning is essential. Also, In the Hall of the Mountain contains a minimal amount of player interaction—what others do may limit future options—but in general, individuals are attempting efficiency with the resources and materials available to them on their turn.

In the Hall of the Mountain King takes the entertaining theme of underground troll-builders and creates a highly creative, engaging, and entertainment gameplay experience thanks to a clever confluence of mechanics including tile-laying, resource management, and drafting. In the Hall of the Mountain King’s rich combination of gameplay actions and strategies make it a worthy edition to any gaming library.

Recommended if you like: Carcassonne, New York 1901, Tiny Towns

Final Grade: A

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